“When will Renie go away?”

“As soon as possible.”

“Tom, I am a friend of yours, and your daughter’s; but I tell you the girl is in a bad fix.”

“She shall go away.”

“To-morrow?”

“We shall see.”

Ike Denman remained to exchange a few more words, and went away; the father and daughter were alone.

The girl told of the attempt to kidnap her.

“I see it all, Renie, I see it all!  But you are safe, and you shall not come to harm; but tell me, who, is the man who was brought before me?”

The girl was saved an answer, for the man walked in to answer for himself.

CHAPTER XII.

Renie was surprised to see the detective enter the cabin.

“Tom Pearce,” said our hero, “I am a stranger to you and yours, but I am your friend.  I cannot tell you who I am at present, but in good time you shall know all!”

“How was it you were suspected of having assailed me?” asked the old smuggler.

“I was coming to your cabin to ask some questions, when, as a stranger, who could give no satisfactory account of himself, I was arrested.”

Renie had told her father that the detective had rescued her from the hands of Garcia and his men.

The old smuggler was not altogether satisfied with the young man’s statement, as a suspicion ran through his mind that he was, after all, a secret emissary of the Cuban.

“You were coming to see me?” said the old smuggler.

“Yes.”

“What is your business with me?”

“I can defer my business to some other time; the fact of your injury prevents me from troubling you now.”

“Never mind my injury, I am all right now.  I received many a worse thump when I was a younger man, but I am an old one now, and I tell you age will tell; but you can open your business.”

“I am your friend, Tom Pearce,”

“Many an enemy claims to be a man’s friend.”

“Had I known what I do now, you would never have been stricken down.”

“I can tell you that had I known myself what I do now, I would never have been stricken down.”

“The man Garcia is your enemy!”

“Eh?  What’s that you are saying?”

“I am telling you the man Garcia is your enemy!”

“What do you know about the man Garcia?”

“I know he is a villain!”

The old smuggler fixed his eyes on the young man, and said: 

“Who sent you here?”

“No one.”

“Why did you come here?”

“To warn you against Garcia.”

The statement in various ways, as our readers will recognize, was the truth.

“You came here to warn me against Garcia?”

“Yes.”

“Why should you come to warn me?”

“Because I know the man who assailed you to be a villain.”